Torpedo for submarine mines.



No. 720,101. PATENTED FEB. 10, 1903.

- F. BAUDUIN.

TORPEDO FOE SUBMARINE MINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 20, 1902.

N0 MODEL;-

UNITED STATES PAT NT OFFICE. r Y

FRITZ A'UDUIN, or LA IIAYE, NETHERLANDS;

- f TQRPEDO i-"oa SUBMARINEI Mines;

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 720,101, dated. February 1 1903. a

Application filed May 20,1902. Serial No. 108,169. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRITZ liAUDUIl La citizen ing had to the accompanying drawing, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which forms a part of this specification.

This invention relatesto an arrangement designed for maintaining torpedoes or sub marine mines immersed at a predetermined depth in calm waters, as well'as where for any reason whatever the currents become disturbed or agitated.

It is known that when strong currents pre- Vail fixed or anchored torpedoes or the like are apt to be displaced thereby in the vertical direction and caused to be lowered or to descend below thev level of the sea, and, further, the high and low tides also vary the degree of immersion of the torpedo.

In the accompanying drawing I have represented, by way of example, a device embodying my present invention.

I will describe my invention as applied to a torpedo of the kind described in the specification of Letters Patent No. 686,646, of Novernber 12, 1901,

To avoid variations in the degree of immersion by reason of currents and tides, I provide the torpedo with a shaftK, upon which is mounted a screw-blade A, which is constantly subjected to theaction of the currents and is moved thereby. The said screw-blade A is adapted to rotate a bevel-wheel B, mount- .ed on the shaft G, and said wheel B gears with a bevel-wheel D, carried by the drum 0, upon which is wound the cable 0 of the torpedo. It is evident that if the torpedo has great power of floating there should be interposed between the two be el-wheels B and D an appropriate number 0 gear-wheels s'ulficient to ov'erbalance the floating power. It

5 is further evident that this arrangement of .50

rotary screw-blade, actuated by the currents, will also cause the torpedo to descend beneath the level of the water. To arrest the torpedo at a predetermined degree of immersion, a hydrostatic plate E, controlled by the pressure of immersion, pushes the bevel-wheel B in the direction of the arrow F until said wheel 13 becomes disengaged from the bevelwheel D. For this purpose the shaft G is arranged to slide or to telescope in the shaft K of the screw-blade A, but in such a manner'as to be rotated therewith.

The hydrostatic plate E and shaft G are con-. trolled by a helical spring H in such a manner that upon disengagement of the wheel B from the wheel D the drum 0 unrolls by reason of the floating power of the torpedo. Upon the latter rising, however, toward the surface of the water the pressure upon the plate E is reduced, and the springH will act to bring the wheel B into gear with the wheel D, and thereby restart the drum 0.

A suitable rudder J is provided to maintain the torpedo pointed in direction of the ourrent in order that the screw-blade A shall be in operative position.

By means of the hereinbefore-described.de-

vice it is possible to maintain torpedoes atany desired depth, even after external circumstances, such as the currents and tides, alter torpedo and an anchor, a propeller attached to the torpedo and a cable attached to the anchor, and means for varying the length of .said cable by the operation of said propeller.

2. A submarine mine, comprising a floating torpedo and an anchor, a propeller on the torpedo anda cable on the anchor, means for varying the length of said cable, and a hydrostatic device fol-controlling the operation of said means. V

3. Asubmarine mine, comprising a floating torpedo attached to an anchor, and hydrostatically-controlled means located within the torpedo-for retaining the torpedo at a constant degree of immersion.

4. A submarine mine, comprising a floating torpedo attached to an anchor, and means located within the torpedo for varying the distance between said torpedo and said anchor so as to retain the same at a constant degree of immersion.

5. In a subn with a torpedo,

5 to, of an anchor, 0

torpedo and sa for said cable,

between said propell means for controlling 1o ting means.

6. In a submarine mine,

with a torpedomrine niin ofa prope id anchor,

propeller a e, the combination ller attached there--' if a cable co'nnectingsaid of a winding-drum and of the combination m1 an anchor-cable,

0[- a winding-drum for said cable, of motiontransmitting means from said propeller to saiddrum, of a hydrostatic device to disengage said drum from said propeller, and of a spring-operated device to recngage said propeller with said drum.

'In testimony that I my invention I have signed my new ence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRITZ B'AUDUIN.

claim the foregoing as e in pres- 2 Witnesses: 1

GIOVANNI EMANUELE ELIA,

GIUSEPPE MATRICARDI. 

